History

Years of oppression by the United States came to an end on April 23, 1982. The modern Conch Republic was Reborn. For over 2 centuries free thinkers and doers had gravitated to the islands off of South Florida and became a stone in the shoe of conservative America. In response to a belief by the federal government, that all people living in an area, they called the Florida Keys, where free thinking individualist that constantly questioned their authority, made fun of their hypocrisy and openly laughed at their stupidity, a decision was made at the highest levels of U. S. Government to set up blockade.

Washington, under the cloak of national security ordered the Border Patrol, Cost Guard and Navy to blockade all American occupied lands south of the Florida mainland. as punishment for the natives free thinking.

Each and every person & vehicle entering or leaving the key’s would be subject to military search and where required to show proof that they where American citizens. Hours of delays and humiliation of Keys residents began.

Under demands from all residents of the Keys the then Mayor, along with many original conchs went to federal court in Miami to seek an injunction against the United States government for illegally blockading the Keys and forcing illegal searches on its citizens with prejudice. The courts refused to rule.

It is rumored, but never proven, that military foreign aid in the form of specialized weapons arrived that night from a neighboring country, an attack on the naval base in Key West was planned.

As the sun rose on April 21, 1982 over the United States Naval base, Key West, conchs in force, with their weapons in hand threw hundreds of loafs of stale Cuban bread at the Naval personnel on duty.(it was never proved where the stale Cuban bread came from) As the Navy prepared to draw their weapons the conch surrendered to the admiral in charge.

Within 24 hours of the revolt, the underground government of the Conch republic requested 1 billion dollars in foreign aid from the United States for War damages and environmental damages caused by 250 years of military occupation of their lands